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How to Acclimate a Fish - Drip Acclimation
Last updated on November 17th, 2023
How to Acclimate a Fish
A common question for those adding fish to their aquariums is how to acclimate a fish. Many of us have learned to float a bag in the tank and pour the fish in. This is NOT how you acclimate a fish, nor a shrimp! Not only because you should be quarantining your fish *cough cough* but because the water chemistry is not the same in the tank and in the bag. Plus, who knows what that water from the store may have in it! A little copper can wipe out your whole tank!
Why you Should Use Drip Acclimation
Drip Acclimation helps fish, especially more sensitive species, adjust to the different water chemistry. The water in quarantine likely contains medication and copper. The nutrients and ph are likely different as well!
With drip acclimation, you start with a small amount of quarantine water and slowly add tank water. This helps the fish adjust before adding it to the new aquarium. It's like a sudden change in air quality or altitude for humans.
How to Drip Acclimate a Fish
Learning how to acclimate a fish is quite simple. You will need a drip acclimation kit. This will save you a lot of headache trying to keep tubing in place. Add just enough water from the quarantine tank to a bucket (1 or 5 gallon depending on the size of the fish). Then add the fish to the bucket.
Start a suction with the drip acclimation kit. I do this by opening the airline valve, blowing in the end to get any water out. Then sucking water through the airline tube until it is about a foot into the hose. Once water starts coming out, close the valve until there is a slow to moderate drip. This depends on how sensitive the fish or shrimp are.
While the fish is acclimating, it is a good idea to feed the current fish in the tank. This will help limit aggression toward the new fish.
After the container is full, using a net over a bucket, slowly pour the water and fish into the net. Place the netted fish in the tank near potential hiding places. Don't force them out of the net immediately. If the fish needs a minute to feel safe, that is fine. Lightly encouraging them out is okay. If other, aggressive fish come near the new fish, shoe them away. Tara! Welcome your new fish!
Conclusion
When it comes to how to acclimate a fish, drip Acclimation is much better than just similar temperatures. This article covered how to drip acclimate a fish as well. This process may be slow, but an hour or two is nothing compared to losing the fish. DO NOT try to rush this. Go slow and enjoy the health and beauty of these fish!
About the Author
John Krenzer
John is a Software Engineer with a passion for saltwater aquariums, as well as the founder and president of Reef Stable. He started in the aquarium hobby as a child with a 20 gallon freshwater aquarium. His interest in aquarium life grew and in 2008, John set up his first saltwater aquarium.
Today, John maintains an over 300 gallon reef tank system, consisting of a 120g reef and a 210g reef. These large tanks are contained within the same system, sharing a sump as a means to reduce total maintenance and increase total water volume.
John writes articles for the blog as a means to learn about more reef aquarium topics. These articles act as a reference for the readers as well as himself. John updates these articles frequently to provide additional information or make corrections as new information becomes available.
If you would like to request an article, tank tour article, or to collaborate, let me know via the Contact Me Page!
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